New Odds on Mitchell

Black Swan Greenpasses the Laura Miller Test, which means that the going odds for the Review That Will Take a Hatchet to Mitchell’s New Direction have dramatically shifted. Here’s the going figures.

New York Press: 3 to 1. The 50 Loathsome New Yorkers article wasn’t received too well. So my guess is the Press will be the first, if only to prove that their hearts beat of anthracite and that they still read books.

New York Times Book Review: 4 to 1. It’s been a while since Tanenhaus commissioned a hatchet job. And my guess is he’s struck a deal with Leon “Assman” Wieseltier to show no pity.

New York Magazine: 7 to 1. With recent reviews comparing Edmund White’s sex life to Erica Jong’s, you can almost smell the superficial takedown in the air. Although I think that Mitchell’s more inclined to get the respect he deserves from Boris Kachka..

Slate: 10 to 1. Unless Blake Bailey writes the review, I can see Slate, now struggling for viability, greatly misunderstanding the book.

The Village Voice: 25 to 1. A long shot, but don’t underestimate the semi-snark surprise factor here.

Please place your bets in the next week. The house closes on Friday at 5:00 PM PDT.